First, please read the disclaimer at the bottom of the page. I'm not a company selling information here. I'm just an enthusiast writing down some of the things I've learned.
Relicing (or antiquing, distressing, aging...) is an art form and it's all about subtlety. Remember that you can always relic a guitar more, but you can't go back and relic it less! If you're like me, you get into a project and have a tendency to over do it. Don't.
Relicing the metal hardware on your guitar can be delicate. And as with every part of the instrument, you obviously don't want to sacrifice playability or structural stability. All of the different parts are composed of different alloys and/or are coated with different things. Therefore it's best to use slightly different techniques for each.
If you haven't checked out my list of recommended tools and materials, you'll probably want to do so.
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First I take all the hardware apart: I remove the saddles and steel inertia block from the tremolo bridge plate. For obvious reasons I don't recommend relicing the bridge block, the bridge saddle intonation springs, or trem springs. If you're removing tuners from an existing guitar as opposed to starting with a new set, be careful removing the ferrules. It's easy to chip the wood around the holes in the headstock. I usually use a THIN flathead screwdriver and a hammer and gently tap them out from the underside.
I use several clear, plastic tupperware-style bowls to separate the hardware into categories: all screws and string ferrules are in one bowl: tuners are in another bowl; bridge saddles in another; neckplate, trem claw, bridge plate, and input jack cup are in another (obviously remove the input jack itself!).
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I don't know what process the Custom Shop uses exactly, but it looks to me like the control plates, bridge plates, and jack cups are tumbled with an abrasive or sandblasted. If you want a lighter relic on these pieces, this step will suffice. If you want a heavier relic, this step is a good start anyway.
I used to do a lot of shooting and I reloaded my ammunition for hunting and target practice. I would clean and polish the empty shells by tumbling them with a polishing compound. It occurred to me that the opposite could be achieved by tumbling metal hardware with an abrasive substance, so I filled a shell/cartridge tumbler (pictured at right) with tiny gravel, nuts, and bolts. After a couple hours in the tumbler, the chrome/nickel control plates, bridge plates, and jack cups have a nice, light reliced appearance consisting of a uniform layer of micro scratches. Unlike sanding, this process doesn't show a discernable pattern of scratches or tool marks. Since an original vintage instrument doesn't get worn with sandpaper, you obviously don't want yours to look like it was.
An alternative to using a tumbler is to bang the pieces, face down, on some rough concrete. Not too hard, but just enough to cause some random-looking dings. I then use 2000 grit wet 3M sandpaper and rub the pieces in a very small, circular pattern. I know I just said not to use sandpaper, but the 2000 grit is fine enough that it won't show a bunch of individual scratch marks. You don't need to take off all the chrome--just do enough to allow the acid in Step 3 to penetrate the chrome plating.
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Each part of the guitar's hardware is made of and/or plated with different metals, and therefore reacts differently to chemicals. That's why I said to separate the different pieces into different bowls in Step 1.
Note: Some people have suggested an alternative to the Acid Stain process described in Step 4. Due to unjustified concerns about the possibility of damaging the inner workings of the tuners, some say this is a better hardware relicing technique as opposed to submerging the parts in acid. Using the Lithochrome Chemstain for a couple minutes, however, will not get past the grease that is inside the tuners. The grease seals the acid out as it's only dipped for a couple minutes. If you're still unsure, try this method instead:
After completing Steps 1 and 2, you can place the hardware pieces in a large bucket along with a bowl of Muriatic (Hydrochloric) acid. Then put a lid on the bucket so that the fumes of the acid affect the metal surfaces without the need to submerge the pieces. You'll have to experiment to determine the necessary time for which the pieces should be left in the bucket. In my experience it's taken a couple days.
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This is a different way to do Step 3.
After finding a place outdoors away from concrete driveways, patios or sidewalks (since we're using acid concrete stain), I take another of the clear plastic bowls and carefully pour in some of the acid concrete stain--enough to submerge the hardware (Scofield Systems™: LITHOCHROME® Chemstain™ Classic CS-16 Faded Terracotta). I carefully drop in the bridge plate, control plate, and/or jack cup first because these will need to be in the acid longer than the other hardware. It's best to have a wide, shallow bowl so that all the hardware can be under the acid without being stacked on one another. After 1 minute I drop in the screws and string ferrules, and after another minute, I drop in the tuners, and one more minute then the bridge saddles. After another 1 minute with all of them in the acid, it's time to take them out. (If you want a heavier relic look, you can slightly increase these times, but DON'T over do it. Especially for the saddles.) If you leave any of the pieces in too long, it can turn the metal to a dark reddish color that doesn't look good or even eat away a substantial portion of the metal.
I again reiterate that this is an unpredictable process, and I've had to throw away several parts that got ruined. It's better to have it look less reliced than you wanted and have to do it over than it is to have it way too reliced and throw it away. If you can't afford to buy another part to replace something you ruin, you shouldn't be doing this in the first place.
Note: Obviously acid is a dangerous substance. I avoid getting any on my skin and I certainly don't drink it or pour it my eye! I'm using this chemical in a manner not intended by the manufacturer. The acid concrete stain, unlike hydrochloric acid, doesn't emit toxic fumes and doesn't burn the skin immediately on contact. I sometimes get a drop on my arm, and I'm fine as long as I rinse it off within a few minutes. I've spilled a little on plastic and in the grass with little or no effect, so I guess there is something in it that just reacts to the metal of the guitar parts. I am no chemist if this fact hasn't become obvious already. It will, however, stain stone and concrete instantly--even if watered down!
As an alternative to the acid concrete stain described above ($65/bottle), you can use hydrochloric (muriatic) acid($8/bottle), which can be found at a swimming pool supply store. The fumes from this stuff will burn you nose and lungs like sulfer, and it will burn your skin if you get any on you. So be extra cautious. Ironically it doesn't act on the metal hardware nearly as quickly as the concrete stain, and I've found it necessary to leave the metal parts in it for as long as a few days as opposed to a few minutes. It's a good idea to check on the pieces (I use tongs) every few hours at least.
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Getting rid of the acid and getting the hardware out and rinsed is a little tricky. The best way I've found to do this is to carefully pour the majority of the acid back into its bottle--it can be re-used. Be sure to avoid any concrete surfaces, because even drips will stain your concrete a rust color in no time! As I pour, I'm careful not to let any of the hardware or screws pour out. Once I have the majority of the acid out I thoroughly rinse it--with the hardware still in there--by flushing the bowl out with a hose in the yard. I only turn the water on low pressure so as not to spray small parts out of the bowl.
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Once I'm sure all the acid has been rinsed out, I drain the majority of the water (again, avoid pouring out any screws or other hardware), then I carefully pour the hardware out onto several sheets of paper towel to drain. At this point avoid wiping the neckplate, jack cup, and/or control plates as the chrome plating (or what's left of it) can wipe right off, causing too much relicing! Spread the pieces out on the paper towel--face up if possible, so the paper towel won't leave a pattern in the chrome plating as it dries. Then spray it all with WD-40 so each piece is coated. This will stop the corrosion/rust process from continuing. Leave the stuff there to dry thoroughly--a day or two.
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When everything is dry, I wipe it all thoroughly with paper towel or a cotton rag. At this point the various hardware should be looking nicely reliced. I usually use a Dremel tool with a polishing tip to fine-tune the look of everything. But don't rub too much or too hard as you can quickly remove too much of the outer surface. I guess this is where the artistic nature of the process comes in. You just have to have an eye for what will look good.
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Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!
| Note: By reading this site and using any of the techniques or materials shown, you agree that you do so at your own risk and at the risk of your instrument. Using aging techniques and materials that were designed for something else to make a guitar look prematurely antiqued is a volatile and unpredictable process. You or a loved one could get hurt or even killed. Your guitar or some part of it could get damaged or ruined beyond repair. You agree to hold me, my friends, family, co-workers, employees, agents, attorneys, acquaintences, distant relatives, alter-egos, descendants, ancestors, and anyone I've ever known or will know, completely harmless and not liable for anything, anywhere at anytime. |
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